AN: Greetings!

Here is this month's chapter and have yet to break my promise~

Enjoy~


How it could have been

Chapter 7: Rollercoaster — Part 4


"Is that it?" Riser whispered, his eyes landing on the abandoned-looking factory.

After a long chase, a good beating taken, and a dangerous close-up to what one may go through when on the verge of exploding, they had finally reached their goal.

No.

Saying they had reached their goal was implying that they had —at the very least — some say in the matter.

They had none.

Thus, they reached their herding point.

Most probably.

After all, short of using a teleportation circle to get away, the lone building towering over them, with its hangar-size doors wide open — not unlike the jaws of some primordial best, waiting for foolish pray to deliver itself on a platter — was the sole refuge the kidnapper might have holed himself into. In miles.

They had lost sight of their target, shortly after the boy managed to tear a hole in the barrier keeping them away from the world. After goading the pair for a bit longer, he suddenly dashed away, the burst of speed not unlike the one he displayed when he robbed them of their friend.

Now here they were, staring into the dark depths of the forsaken facility, their innate ability to see in the dark rendered completely bootless. The reason why, unknown and all the more worrying.

"I think so," Rias mumbled back, her voice just as soft. "I don't think he would have had a reason to . . . stimulate us for that long, just to make a break for it at the very end."

Riser nodded in understanding, emulating his fiancée in gnashing his teeth at the remembrance. Their friend's pain-filled whimpers — he could not forgive that.

"So this is a trap, then."

The redhead sighed, the fatigue and anxiety leaking from it palpable. "As much as I would like to claim nonsense, yes. This is most certainly a trap."

"Any idea which one of us are they after?"

"Beats me."

". . . Thought so," the blonde couldn't escape a groan himself. They had both experienced some attacks or kidnapping attempts at some point in their young lives, so the answer could be either.

. . . Or both.

"Any success in contacting your handler or your brother?"

"None," she shook her head as she tried her phone for the umpteenth time. "I think it died once with the bracelets. How about yours?"

"Same," Riser admitted forlornly, his shoulders slumping in defeat. The urge to just smash the unresponsive magically enchanted flip phone rose in his chest, but the small hope that maybe . . . maybe . . . it would fix itself, made him denounce the impulse.

". . . I should have waited for Sōji-san. Or Mister Hadrian, at least . . ."

"Don't blame yourself," the blonde gently rubbed her back, trying to comfort the girl. "I should have had as well, but . . . neither of us could have guessed their real motive at that time. For me . . . a thought that didn't involve getting Akeno back as soon as possible . . . hadn't crossed my mind. Sorry."

Rias found herself smiling tenderly, his concern for her Queen lighting up her heart. "Thank you . . .," she whispered, her voice raw, and took his hand in hers, squeezing it lovingly, "for caring."

The boy flushed, the emotions swimming in her eyes catching him off guard. ". . . She's my friend, as well. There's no reason to thank me for something I would have done either way . . ."

His voice croaking, he turned away in embarrassment. His heart was doing strange things, for some reason.

The redhead's smile widened and her purchase of his hand tightened ever so lightly. "Just . . . thank you."

". . ."

". . . You're welcome." He gave in, his gaze latching back onto hers, a silent calling urging him so.

"Fu fu~" Rias giggled, her mood lighter for some reason. She didn't let go of his hand. "Your reputation notwithstanding, I think you are a good guy, little brother."

Riser couldn't help pursing his lips, some annoyance washing over him as she brought up his less-than-stellar renown. "Drop it," he told her off, a finger lightly flicking her forehead. "I don't need that in my head right now. You better come up with a plan, 'cause nothing is tickling my creative bone right now."

Rias shrugged, "Go through the front door, guns blazing?"

"And step right into their trap? Shouldn't we at least search for a backdoor or something?"

"Whoever planned this up, I don't think they failed to take the back door into consideration," she deadpanned. "Unless you can destroy the building without hurting Akeno, that's all I can come up with."

"Now that's just plain impossi—"

Riser stopped himself mid-word, his face frozen into a snort.

Was it . . . truly impossible . . .?

That morning, he would have said yes without any doubt, but now . . . he wasn't quite sure. His instincts assured him there was no problem pulling it off.

He didn't know what changed. Nor did it bother him that much, however.

"Riser? Do you have a better idea?"

". . . No," the boy answered, if a bit hesitantly. Instincts be damned, he couldn't gamble with his friend's life. "Let's go with yours and hope for the best."

"Right . . . let's hope."

Her tone was lacking confidence and uneasiness was starting to engulf her little body, a slight trembling plaguing her lithe hands. If the two of them were less than enough to put a dent in the kidnapper's composure, how were they supposed to save their friend now, when most certainly they would have to face more than one opponent?

"It'll be alright," Riser whispered as he resumed his rubbing of her back for a second and a smile that was supposed to be strong appeared on his profile. It came out more wan, unfortunately.

Rias nodded, if only for the sake of it.

Not wasting any more of their possibly precious time, they slowly and cautiously made their way past the entrance and into the encompassing darkness that was the building. Contrary to the girl's earlier jest, neither of them really thought bursting in — magic circles alight — was a good option.

As the number of echoes of the steps they trudged quickly increased, and the pair advanced more and more in the depths of the seemingly empty factory, their lack of vision was gradually turning into an issue.

Far in the past, the fear that the lack of light — most often than not — induced had been conquered, for their makings didn't allow as such. Yet now, confronted once more with the dark embrace, the children found themselves dreading it more than their fragmented recollections could ever hope to match.

A primal fear, the loss of this small thing they had taken for granted brought into their loudly thumping hearts.

That's why, the moment when blinding neon lights ignited into existence high above them and whatever spell that locked their nightly sight shimmered away, the children found themselves blowing a long sigh of relief. Not even the considerable collection of cloaked silhouettes — menacingly walking up to as to surround them — could hope to mar the lightness their hearts, at last, reclaimed.

. . . Not for long, sadly.

After the approaching group of masked Devils — for they could be nothing else, judging by the huge amounts of demonic power they now deliberately discharged — came to a halt, some twenty feet away from them, both Riser and his fiancée couldn't help tensing up. Again.

That feeling only got worse when, a second later, one of their would-be captors stepped out of the encirclement and neared them until just a few steps separated them.

They recognized him.

They recognized him by his now familiar bulk, but mostly thanks to the prone little body lying on his shoulder — the original abductor.

Riser locked eyes with the cold gaze staring down at him, ". . . Give her back," he whispered, hating how weak he sounded despite the confidence and defiance he hoped to transmit. He clenched the hand holding his own, and felt it do much the same in response. He hadn't realized they were holding hands, but the warm sweat drenching their palms — be it his or the redhead's — felt reassuring at the moment. "Give her back!" The boy repeated, this time the words coming more or less as he envisioned them.

". . ."

The man didn't deign to answer, content to pin the pair with his stare. The look in his eyes was starting to change. From the freezing, calculating one they have come to associate with him, to one filled with disdainful glee — the gaze of a hunter who knew their hunt was about to end in success.

Still wordless, he effortlessly hefted the comatose girl off his shoulder and, with the same amount of regard one might hold a mosquito they carelessly swatted away, he flung her to them — she had played her role.

""Akeno!""

Rias and Riser both exclaimed in alarm as they scrambled to catch their friend before the cold hard ground could do it for them. They hadn't expected the man to so easily accept their demand, his previous . . . reluctance, seemingly a lie in comparison to his current disregard.

Rias proved to be the faster one and Akeno landed safely in her arms. She had to brace herself though, a small grunt escaping her lips, as the man hadn't bothered to pull any stops with his throw.

Luckily, they had Riser behind, and the boy didn't shy away from helping them. Hands on the redhead's shoulders, he stopped their backward momentum.

"Is she okay?" the blonde asked softly, his eyes scanning the comatose girl from over his fiancée's head as she lowered both herself and her precious charge to the floor. He couldn't find anything out of place. She looked asleep, in fact, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath. Her complexion was healthy as well, welcomed rosiness colouring her cheeks.

Rias didn't answer at once. Scrutinizing every inch of her Queen's body with hawkish eyes and soft proddings, her focus was centered solely on the girl. There was no room for outside interference.

A couple of tense seconds later, to her great relief, her physical examination failed to spot any signs of harm on the ravenette's body. Outwardly, at least, she was unscathed.

Just to make extra sure, however, the Red King quickly muttered an incantation under her breath. A small, blackish-red magic circle flared into being a moment after, and it started slowly hovering over Akeno, scanning both her insides and outsides for any signs of damage.

It was a diagnostic spell — at least in Riser's, admittedly, scant knowledge in the domain.

It took longer for the spell to work its magic than it took its caster to finish her previous bodily inspection, but, once it ceased its existence, Rias couldn't prevent the relieved sigh she heaved — the results weren't worrying.

"Thank Satan she's okay . . ." she exhaled, shoulders sagging in solace. "An overpowered sleeping spell is the only thing affecting her."

"That's good," Riser muttered, his own anxiety abating somewhat. "Give her this, though," he added, fishing out a tiny vial containing his own healing tears, "just in case . . ."

". . ."

Although she pursed her lips at the implied lack of faith in her abilities, Rias said nothing and opted to roughly snatch the vial the boy dangled before her eyes.

The safety of her best friend was more important than her pride.

Quickly uncorking the small container, she raised the sleeping girl's chin, leveling her head. Without hesitation, she then pried the girl's lips open and downed the liquid inside.

. . . It was meaningless to say that the senseless girl — her body, specifically — didn't find the intrusion of the foreign liquid welcoming, helpful or not. In an instinctual attempt to avoid drowning, she wrenched her head from the redhead's gentle hold and sputtered, the priceless liquid trickling down her chin.

"Try again," Riser whispered, taking out yet another vial and handing it to his fiancée.

Rias nodded wordlessly. Replicating her prior steps, she was forced to halt her movements right before pouring the contents into Akeno's mouth. This time, her body sensing the imminent 'danger', the ravenette jerked her head even faster, denying her King's good intentions.

". . . You have to drink it," the redhead cooed, not unlike talking to a baby. "It's good for you."

Good or not, the Queen kept pulling her head away. After a full minute of meaningless back and forth, Rias gave up. Should she force her way, she would only waste the tears again.

". . ."

A few seconds of contemplation later, the girl hardened her eyes, a new game plan lighting up inside her mind, not unlike the proverbial light bulb.

Stilling her friend's head in place, this time adding a bit more strength into her hold but not losing her gentle touch, she swiftly downed the tears herself, holding them into her mouth and . . . locked her lips on the Queen's equally soft and full ones.

"!"

A muffled groan tried to escape the ravenette's mouth, only to be stifled by the invasion of a small tongue, the healing liquid pouring inside, together with the Red King's saliva.

". . ."

"Wow . . ." Riser gulped, staring in amazement at the impromptu battle.

. . . He would have liked to watch them longer, he truly did, but . . . the shiver that went down his back wasn't one of excitement. Nor was it caused by the show his fiancée put up for . . . well, not exactly for him.

He had a feeling that the stares boring down on them were not as impressed as he was by what they were witnessing.

Thus — with the hope that none of those masked bastards would have the time to stop him and slightly berating himself for not having done this the moment they've recovered their friend — Riser pounced on the girls, drawing a surprised yelp from the redhead.

Not minding her questioning look, he quickly grabbed hold of one of their hands and activated flame travel, sighing in relief as they still haven't made an attempt to stop him.

The next moment, they were gone.

. . . Or should have been, except they were still there — for the first time in his life, his trusty ability had failed him.

". . ."

The gazes seemed to take a ridiculing nuance to them.

Panic starting to suffocate him, the boy tried again . . . to no avail, still. No matter how much he envisioned himself — themselves — flaming away from the factory, not a spark lit into existence.

"It's of no use, kid."

A voice cackled venomously in the empty enclosure, and the kids' eyes snapped in the direction it came from. It was one of the men who surrounded them that spoke. Scrawny and short, not even the baggy robe covering him could fill out his diminutive frame.

"What~?" he drawled out, his eyes leaking disdain. "What's up with those stares of yours~? Are you trying to glare me into submission as your kind is wont to? My, my! I'm so scared~"

"Why can't I flame away?" Riser demanded, a sharp edge to his words. "What did you do?"

"Nooo~ Mommy, save me~ A self-entitled brat is bullying me~" The man wailed mockingly, pretending to take cover behind the much taller and bulkier form of one of his immediate companions. "What do I—"

"Stop clowning around and answer my question."

Unmoved by the alleged nutcase behavior the man was displaying, the blonde interrupted him coldly.

"Tch!" The Devil spat out but stopped his fooling. "That's why I fuckin' hate you and your shitty ilk. Just because you are highborn, you think everyone else is below you. It's sickening!"

"Aha," Riser nodded thoughtfully and a derisive laugh escaped his lips. "You're a stray, aren't you?"

The man flinched — the boy's words seemed to have hit a sore spot.

"Don't you fuckin' dare call me that, you little shit! How dare your kind impose that moniker upon me! I did nothing wrong, you cunt!" The scraggy Devil roared wrathfully, the anger clouding his voice in whizzes. "How is it my fault that that useless bitch couldn't keep her mouth shut and barked at the wrong—"

"Yeah, yeah," Riser waved his hand dismissively, heckling the man's tirade for the second time. "I'm not interested in your supposed innocence. Text my brother-in-law for that. What I would like to know, instead," the boy paused, taking his time to watch the guy's furious trembling, "is how a pack of abandoned mongrels like you found a way to counter my family's ability. Who's behind you?"

For a moment, the man failed to respond, shocked by the brat's gall. Outnumbered and glaringly the weaker party by far, he still had the nerve to taunt them.

. . . That wouldn't do.

"You little cur!" the Devil cussed, taking a few steps in the kids' direction. "You think you're hot shit, huh?!"

Not to be outdone by the guy's outburst, Riser raised his chin, squaring himself up, "I don't think I'm hot shit," he contended, his gaze equally disdainful of his opponent and proud of himself, "I am hot shit."

Somehow, the boy's words managed to rile the man up even more, his eyes now starting to turn bloodshot. Either himself or some of his blood vessels were about to snap.

"You—"

"That is enough, Hilderoy."

". . ."

This time, the one who spoke up was the man who initiated the whole debacle — the man who had kidnapped Akeno.

No sooner had the command left his mouth and the scrawny man — now Hilderoy — shrank back visibly, a minute shudder quaking his body.

"Y-yes, Boss," he stuttered in a hurry, and Riser could practically taste the amount of servility and terror filling up those two simple words.

"You better. Otherwise, I will make an example out of you."

Hilderoy's shivering couldn't have been more obvious at this point and with a squeaked "Ye-yes!" as a reply, he fell back into line and seemingly made an effort to look even smaller.

"Coward."

The 'Boss' sneered contemptuously but soon lost interest as he didn't get a rise from the trembling Devil. His attention was back on the alert children in full.

A hand still purchasing each of his companions, Riser looked back defiantly but the vigilance in his stare skyrocketed. Although that Hilderoy didn't seem all that hard to deal with, he wasn't an opponent he could disregard either, his mocking words notwithstanding. . . . Having the ability to frighten him into submission that easily . . . it was no wonder he had been played with earlier.

"You're their Boss then, hm?" the boy opened his parched mouth and asked, ridiculing the appellative with his emphasis. "I should have expected this much from trash like you. After all, even a pack of stray mutts like yours needs a leader to bark louder."

". . ."

If the man felt insulted by his denigration, he didn't show it. He only tilted his head in wonder.

"Taunting? Again? I thought I made it clear to you that it won't work. Or was one beating not enough to make my point?"

Riser couldn't stop his heart from sinking, but, fortunately, his years of studying etiquette were enough to not show it on his features. "Do you call that beating? Pfft. Do I look hurt to you?"

The boss overlooked him pensively for a moment before nodding his head.

"You're right. That much shouldn't have brought any lasting damage to a Phenex."

"Then—"

"Thanks for reminding me, though."

A sudden mood change washed over the disturbingly tranquil man, and neither Riser nor Rias liked the look he sent their way.

"I have forgotten that the easiest way to deal with a member of the immortal clan is by breaking their spirit first. That's why—"

His gaze no longer minding the boy, it traveled to the pair of girls huddling behind him.

"— I'll deal with them first."

"!"

No sooner had the man finished his words and he was already in action, his terrifying speed allowing him to be mid-leap over the Riser by the time the boy's mind registered he had even moved.

Riser's eyes slowly widened in horror and cruel realization washed over him — he was not the bastard's target!

'Noo!'

A desperate shout rocketed his mind, and the time seemed to come to a standstill. His demonic power came to a boil in an instant, and, before he could chain another coherent thought, his instincts kicked into action. With an activation speed that would have his usual self stunned in astonishment, his raised hand set free an incandescent bolt of fire, just as the man's plunging figure was about to pass him.

Not even aware of the incoming danger — or rather, dismissive of the very notion that the kids could possibly harm him — the man failed to react in time. Before his feet could touch the ground, and, more importantly, before his outstretched hand could reach the unresponsive Rias and her sleeping Queen, the man was blasted away from his orbiting path. Such was the force of the impact that not only had it altered the man's course, but it had also propelled him upwards, smashing a considerable number of thick metal beams before opening a hole in the factory's roof.

". . ."

A stunned silence befell all those present. The only sounds marring it belonged to the occasional piece of rubble coming off the edges of the hole and then crashing down, forcing the responsible boy to backpedal a few steps to avoid getting hit.

"Boss?!"

A shrill yell broke the status quo and was soon followed by the unfurling of a spindly pair of inky bat wings. Clouds of dust started to take shape as they needed a couple of slow, experimental flaps to build enough momentum to lift their owner.

Immediately after, a bony figure bolted heavenwards and left the building through the artificial hollow, chasing behind their unwillingly soaring leader.

The figure belonged to Hilderoy.

". . ."

Was it an act of loyalty? Or a calculated move born out of hope reingratiating himself after being subjected to a less-than-savory threat?

As she calmly observed their captors fly into a panic at the sight of their boss experiencing the rare chance to emphasize with a baseball during a homerun — Rias thought idly.

Some of them were about to follow after Hilderoy, wings unfolded.

Some others were preoccupied flapping about like a scurry of disoriented rats.

The rest, though, seemed content to watch the impromptu designed skylight, schadenfreude radiating from them — a feeling Rias could relate to, the borderline sadistic smile tugging at her lips telling lots about her opinion on her fiancé's successful strike.

What not even one of the robed figures bothered to do, however, was to watch over them. Or maintain the encircling formation.

It was becoming more and more apparent, but . . . whoever orchestrated this shindig, hadn't paid much attention to who exactly they had employed. The lack of professionalism was glaring in all but one case — the man the group called their leader.

And since that was the case . . . wasn't his absence the best opportunity to make a run for it . . .?

A myriad of escape plans came into being inside the redhead's mind, only to be dismissed right after. Their failure to keep their composure at the loss of their leader aside — and the girl had to wonder how those strays hadn't been caught already if this was the extent of their mental prowess — the fact they were still too strong to be taken on, was still true.

They had to find a way to get away without getting entangled—

"!"

All thoughts of foes lacking masterfulness and methods to break away safely were swept away when a wave of warmth washed over her form and a pair of slim — but unexpectedly reassuring — arms wrapped around both her Queen and herself.

Rias couldn't help the tiny smile that ghosted over her face.

'If this is how a supposedly egotistical person acts, I feel sorry for what a selfless one has to go through,' the redhead giggled whilst Riser zoomed off towards the entrance of the factory, wings ablaze. "Though I can't say this was how I imagined my first princess carry. Fu fu~"

Cussing words erupted behind them as the gravity of their negligence downed upon their captors, but the Gremory heiress paid them no heed. As unorthodox as sharing her very first bridal carry with another girl was, she found herself squealing in delight.

Had it not been for the fear that the boy might drop the Queen draped over her, should she loosen her embrace of the girl's midriff, the giddiness overtaking her couldn't have stopped her from clapping her hands!

The way the blonde looked inquisitively at her after hearing her little cheery squeaks, but flashed her a comforting and unusually attractive smile despite his cluelessness . . . only accentuated the feeling, a burst of heat settling over her cheeks.

A moment later, they were out of the building's confines, having burst unobstructedly out through the carelessly left open door.

Rias glanced back, struggling a bit to discern the silhouettes of their swearing chasers as the rapid beat of the flaming wings created a semi-opaque shield behind them.

It appeared that her fiancé was a surprisingly swift flyer — the distance between them and the group hot on their heels was slowly widening.

"I still can't flame us away," Riser said forlornly and Rias had to take a second to understand his words. The wind was quite strong at these speeds. "Whatever enchantment or what is it that they've used to render my ability null, it hasn't only affected the inside of the factory."

The redhead adopted a more somber countenance at that, ". . . Do you think the restriction impacts the whole of the bounded field?"

Contrary to what they had expected when the boy's . . . release punched a hole in the fake ceiling of the barrier, the attack was not enough to overwhelm the energy source powering up the field. Instead of completely destroying it, the damage had started recovering quite fast, only taking about two minutes for the counterfeit sky to once again look indistinguishable from the real one.

. . . They could only hope that the small lapse was enough for their caretakers to locate them.

"I can't say for sure," Riser's words came as a whisper after a moment of pondering. "I could do it before, so . . . they either added the feature after or it only affects a certain radius. Personally, I feel stronger about the latter."

Rias nodded in assent. Their means to hinder the flaming — a teleportation ability that despite its high consumption of demonic power was nigh impossible to prevent against — and the humongous bounded field were already excessive. Expecting more from outcasts like them was too far-fetched.

. . . Or maybe not. Considering they shouldn't have been capable of either of those things . . . their employer or Master or whatever seemed to be quite resourceful.

The girl shook her head. The endless possibilities — each scarier and more unfeasible than the last — were starting to give her a headache.

"Then . . . get as far as you can while constantly trying to teleport away?" Rias suggested, reddening a touch at how unhelpful her advice sounded.

Riser chuckled, the slight reverberations passing through his chest in her own. She thought it was quite odd how enjoyable she found the sensation.

"I'm on it, princess. No need to—"

The boy's comeback was cut short as his eyes narrowed in distaste and his wings gave a powerful flap, adjusting his flying path a little to the right. No more than a second later, something curved, resembling a barely outlined crescent moon, whizzed past and disappeared ahead of them.

"A wind blade . . .," Riser frowned in repugnance, their audacity to use wind magic against a Phenex leaving him quite insulted.

Their clan may have been best known for their immortality, flames and healing tears, yes. But what not many were aware of was their supernatural affinity to all that involved manipulating air currents. Their vastly overwhelming performance in airborne combat was not without basis.

"Tch."

The blonde clicked his tongue in annoyance as an ever increasing number of wind blades and miscellaneous projectiles forced him to weave acrobatically in their midst. Sometime shooting into the sky, some other times plunging swiftly towards the ground — elegantly avoiding potentially mortal crashes by the width of a hair — and every other time either doing some crazy barrel rolls or changing their direction so abruptly that the number and foulness of the profanities directed their way increased exponentially.

"Kyaaah~!"

". . ."

"I'm glad you're enjoying the situation," Riser pouted at Rias during a particularly dangerous dive.

The redhead giggled sheepishly, "Sorry . . ." she said, her eyes shining brightly, their intensity taking his breath away for a moment, "but it's so much fun! I've never flown in such a way! Riding a coaster is nothing compared to this!"

The blonde's pout intensified a hint, but ultimately a lopsided smirk took its place. Although her euphoric shrieks jolted his ears in no small amounts, seeing the huge grin stretching her cheeks and the way she joyfully called his name at times . . . was more than worth it.

After all, this level of winging was still quite far from putting a strain on him, the extra weight and the threat of pointy or edged projectiles notwithstanding.

That didn't mean he wouldn't mind a bit of help, though.

"Think you can return fire?" Riser asked, nudging his head towards the mob of angry, gliding Devils. "My hands are kind of busy holding you girls."

The redhead pursed her lips thoughtfully but nodded nonetheless. It would be quite difficult to actually hit any of them under these conditions, but she could give it a try. "My aim is nothing much . . .?"

"It's not a problem," came the assurance. "Reminding them that they were foolish enough to pick a fight with a user of the legendary Power of Destruction should be plenty to dampen their enthusiasm."

'Fair enough.'

Convinced by the boy's point, Rias disentangled her right hand from Akeno's midriff, making sure to secure her tightly with the other. Then, peeking her head past the arm acting as a particularly soft cushion, she extended her free hand.

A blackish-red orb, oozing with tiny arcs of pure destruction, formed before her spread palm not a beat later, and, careful as to not brush it against the boy's back, she closed an eye, aiming to catch the gap between two flaps of the blazing wings and shoot it at their pursuers.

"Now!" the redhead cried out and blasted the terrifying mass of demonic power in the general direction of the group, opening a hole in the boy's wing while at it.

"!"

The chasing rabble — who scuttered like a flock of scared chickens threatened by a fox the moment they realized what the small orb drifting their way truly was — were not the only ones to feel their hearts sink once the Gremory heiress unleashed her attack.

The sudden wobbling that shook their otherwise smooth flight birthed not a small number of butterflies in the engaged couple's stomachs.

Thankfully, though, the flames quickly patched up the makeshift hole Rias had created and they soon stabilized, putting an end to the wild beat of their hearts.

". . ."

". . . Sorry?"

" . . . No," Riser groaned, his pupils still a tad dilated from the scare. "It's my fault also for not considering the possibility. Just . . .try not to have them taste the blunt of your attacks. It's not a problem as long as you only singe them."

". . . Right," the redhead nodded and produced a new orb, doing her best to take into consideration all possible factors that could hinder her aim.

Air resistance, wind direction, the slight mirage coming into play when sniping a faraway target, barometric pressure, light intensity, temperature, the inconstant range, the difference in altitude between them and her targets, the possible acceleration gained by using the slipstream created by their moving bodies, the rhythm of the wings' flap, the sudden changes in their flight path, the slight trembling of her hand — well . . . Rias knew next to nothing about most of those affecting elements. She still did, however, give her all in order to shoot the bad guys chasing them while she also paid extra heed not to tear a new hole in the only thingy keeping them from experiencing cordless bungee. She had a strong feeling their immature devil bodies were not particularly immune to turning into bloody splotches upon impacting the ground . . .

Thus, she could practically feel her heart's palpitations resound in her neck by the time she finally let the tiny mass of highly destructive energy depart her hand. That feeling reached its peak during the fraction of an instant it needed to stream beyond the range of the beating wings and . . . turned into a mighty sigh of relief when not as much as one of the tiny fluctuating tendrils surrounding the orb made contact with the flickering flames making out the pinions of her fiance's wings.

Her attack still failed to knock down any of their pursuers, though. Much like her first attempt, this one also drifted harmlessly away after scattering them in all directions, a cacophony of swear words accompanying their exodus.

"Much better," Riser praised and the crimson-haired girl beamed back at him, neither of the two noticing the tension leaving their slight forms. "Keep it up."

"Yes!"

And so, a strange chase unfolded inside the isolation field.

A young boy dashed swiftly through the skies, his movements denoting an innate gracefulness a swallow would find it hard to compete against.

His arms carried the almost negligible weight of two girls: one blissfully unaware of her situation and the other lost in the combined thrill of their flight and her live attempt at honing her skills.

An assembly of a dozen or so Devils trailed in their wake, their uncoordinated procession marred furtherly by the occasional ball the giddy redhead threw their way.

It didn't matter whether one was a reincarnated Devil or a born one, stray or otherwise. A couple of months in the Underworld were enough to educate them about the potency of the Bael-originated power of destruction, to mention nothing of the dread that having it pointed at them meant.

Being literally erased from existence was not a preferred method of death many bragged to wish for.

". . ."

Riser could understand their desperate attempt to scurry out of its eerily smooth path every time his fiancée managed to dispatch an orb their way, for his back couldn't escape leaking more and more cold sweat with each successful time the girl managed to cast her magic — his physique's ability to rewrite any potential . . . deletion, not enough to assuage his heart.

What he failed to comprehend instead was . . . how in Lucifer's overrated name had she not scored a hit yet?!

He had lost count by now of how many times the chasing rabble had disbanded itself only to foolishly come back together moments later, again and again resetting the girl's chance to strike them down!

Were they stupid?

Or else, were they hoping that by huddling together they could sacrifice one of them in the worst-case scenario?

No matter what, this strange deadlock had to be broken, preferably in their favor.

His body may be far from tiring, but his mind didn't enjoy the same benefits. Avoiding the spells and what not flying their way for this long was putting a toll on his psyche.

Despite the lowered intensity that came with the redhead's intervention!

"Um, Rias," the blonde voiced in a subdued tone. "Are you perhaps . . . missing them intentionally . . .?"

Twitch.

". . . Whatever are you saying, Riser? How could I not—"

"Rias."

Catching the stern look Riser directed her way — a look that reminded her oddly much of one of Grayfia's — the redhead shifted her eyes nervously, but still complied, "Okay . . ."

". . ."

While grumbling under her breath something about spoilsports and tyrants being the same no matter what gender they had, Rias began taking her role more seriously.

The results were visible immediately.

Just when the next Power-of-Destruction-powered orb failed once more to score a hit, the strays chasing them having avoided it just like usual, a change suddenly took place.

The spherule shrank abruptly, its size nearing the scale of a pinhole, and, before the Devils surrounding it up, down, left and right had the chance to react — it exploded.

With a shockwave that destabilized even Riser for a second — and they were considerably far away from the epicenter — splotches of demonic power infused with the Bael's gift splattered in each direction, doing a wonderful number out of the now wailing strays.

The boy slowly came to a stop and swiveled around, watching in marvel the sight of their opponents being reduced to a yowling mess by merely a fruitful attack on his fiancée's part. "Nice one, Rias!" he couldn't help letting out an exclamation.

The redhead simply shrugged, the results of her handiwork placing within her expectations.

"Although not as potent as a direct hit, the splash effect can do wonders to unsuspecting targets," she said dispassionately, her eyes following as most of their past captors were on a highspeed race towards the ground. A great deal of them were not doing it willingly, though.

True to her words, the damage caused by the tiny doses of Power of Destruction wasn't particularly life threatening. Sizzling wounds, ranging in severity between second and third degree burns, made up the bulk of their injuries and . . . that was it. Their healing didn't pose much trouble to a skilled healer — the only real difficulty the act presented was in getting rid of the noxious remnants of the girl's demonic power.

No, the severity of their wounds was not the most pressing concern for the forcefully turned skydivers.

Leaving aside their close to nil chance to even see the shadow of a healer — their ill-famed status as strays had seen to that — just like Riser could attest . . . getting your wings riddled with holes mid-flight was not a heartening experience.

"Though . . . I didn't expect them to be this careless," Rias muttered to herself, wincing a bit at the sickening symphony of plops.

Their opponents didn't prove to be able to defy the impact the gravitational pull had upon their bodies any better than a non-supernatural being would have.

The blonde nodded, disgustedly admiring the Halloween-themed cookies plastered on the weed-plagued asphalt, "True. They seemed quite strong at first."

He wouldn't have decided that fleeing was their only option otherwise.

". . . Is your flaming still restricted?"

"Sadly, yes," Riser replied to his fiancée, a pang of guilt squeezing his heart at her downcast countenance. "Was this, um . . . your first . . . time?"

Rias glanced up, confusion in her eyes.

"My first what?"

"Killing somebody . . . I mean."

". . ."

The redhead shifted her gaze uncomfortably, seemingly reminiscing about something not exactly pleasant.

". . . It h-happened once before," the girl said eventually, her eyes still missing his. "When I was little, I used to sneak out and play in town. . . . One of those times, some shady-looking man tried to grab me while I was strolling a back alley."

Her voice was getting smaller and smaller, and at this point, barely a whisper left her mouth.

"I-I panicked a-and, well, before I knew it . . . just the legs were left of him . . . "

Rias quickly finished her confession, the troubled frown disappearing from her face also. A slight fidgeting of her body and an expectant gaze took its place.

". . ."

". . . It must have been scary," Riser comforted his fiancée, an understanding smile accompanying his response. By the looks of it, his answer was a passing one.

Rias blew a sigh of relief, the hand that had unknowingly purchased his shirt coming loose.

"T-thank you," she stuttered back. "It means a lot . . ."

". . ."

Only one thing coursed through the boy's mind as he regarded the redhead with a gentle smile. That was . . . to never ask whether that 'shady looking man' could have been simply a good Samaritan trying to help a lost kid.

Yup. Never.

"Then what about you?" Rias spoke up curiously, her voice interrupting the blonde's attempt to hypnotize himself. "Have you . . . offed before?"

Riser cocked an eyebrow. "No. I haven't had the chance to off someone before."

The girl looked up incredulously.

"Then how come you are taking the situation better than me?!"

An eye roll was the reply she got first, but soon after, a resolute, earnest expression settled on Riser's face. "Rias," he began slowly, "although I have yet to take a life, I have long since come to terms with the thought."

"But—"

"I understand that it is never easy and, in some cases, the guilt could haunt me for years. Life, maybe." A pause muted his voice for a second, his sky-blue eyes boring into the redhead's baby-blue ones. "But there's something I'll regret much, much more!"

A gulp unknowingly escaped the girl, the boy's intensity and passion having caught her off the cuff.

". . . The thought that one day I could hesitate taking down an enemy out of some hypocritical sense of mercy or guilt and then . . . as revenge . . . that person could come back and hurt those I hold dear . . ." A horror-filled shudder rocked his small frame at this point. ". . . That is something I won't be able to live with."

". . ."

Rias fell silent, her mind contemplating the soulful revelation.

It wasn't as if his words had been complete news to her. She's had a similar conversation with both her father and her older brother. It was just . . . the impact of hearing it from a kid her age . . . struck closer to home.

When her talks with her family members felt more like incessant nagging, her fiancé's lecture left her with a sense of urgency. The slight sermon-ish quality it had to it, for once, doing more than just activating her inherently rebellious nature.

". . . I didn't hesitate," the crimson-haired girl uttered in a soft voice, a remote attempt of defiance. "See," her chin pointing down and an obviously forced smile plastered over her face, she added, "pancakes."

"Yeah, pancakes," Riser nodded a bit absentmindedly.

His gaze was focused in the distance, past the remaining Devils, where a turbulent trail was rippling furiously through the skies.

A nervous titter escaped his lips. Stopping to gloa— . . . observe their fallen opponents turned out to have been a pretty stupid idea.

"Well, princess," he recentered his awareness on the conscious girl lying down in his arms. "Don't let it gnaw at your mind. For now, just don't forget that one more enemy breathing means one more of your loved ones being in danger."

"I know . . ."

Rias conceded. The boy's words held enough weight. There was also their fast-approaching guest, his frenzied nearing hard to go unnoticed. A tentative joke left her lips, "It seems our host has not been exactly pleased with his early departure."

Yes. The one inelegantly air-dashing towards them was the so-called 'Boss'. His technique left much to be desired, but that speed had even Riser swallow the little frog in his throat.

If his flight could be likened to the swift and graceful waltz of a swan, the man's skill brought more of an ostrich launched by a catapult — crude and barbaric, yet mightly fast and deadly when on target.

". . . Should we find a way to make him crash . . .?" Rias proposed, the very notion of that hulking brute ramming into them leaving her more than a little disturbed.

Riser nodded his head quickly — the girl's plan fancying his own. He might be fine after one such collision, but his companions most certainly wouldn't.

"Hm . . .?"

So focused had they been on the strays' leader's flashy charge that they failed to notice until the distance between them narrowed considerably. A second Devil was following in his wake, using the slipstream the large male not so deliberately created.

". . . Any chance that's Hilderoy?"

"I don't think so," the redhead denied, her mask of disappointment mimicking the boy's perfectly. "This one seems more competent . . ."

"Right. So . . . let's run?"

"My suggestion exactly."

Thus, the pair restarted their escape, all the way cursing their foolish curiosity for having wasted minutes of their precious time. For all they knew, they could have escaped the restrictions of the enchantment by now, had it not been for their dawdle.

Not half a minute later, a loud thunderclap-like blaring noise resounded behind them.

Rias peeked over her fiancé's shoulder, intent to scout the cause and its possible consequences. Although the targets were quite far behind already even for her enhanced eyesight, she could still barely make out their pursuers' silhouettes.

"They stopped by the surviving trio of Devils," she informed, her voice quite loud in order to make herself heard over the whistling winds. A snicker followed right after. "I think they are getting a scolding."

'I'm quite positive they'll get more than just a scolding,' the boy almost deadpanned. He had to fight quite hard not to sneak a glance himself, his inquisitive nature rearing its ugly head again. "Their tardiness is beneficial to use. As far as I am concerned, the Boss can scold them 'till next week."

". . . I wouldn't count on that," came the redhead's troubled rejoinder.

"?"

"All of them are back to chasing us."

". . ."

Riser chose to silently raise his speed. He wasn't quite sure whether or not the words to next leave his mouth would also be a jinx. He wouldn't trust his luck to that.

Sadly, though, he didn't have to give voice to any unfortunate thoughts to furthermore aggravate their situation. It didn't depend solely on him — on them.

Not thirty seconds after Rias confirmed the restart of the hunting game, the boy began feeling a bit strained to maintain their current pace.

At first, he believed it to be nothing more than the tiredness catching up to him, however unlikely that possibly was. The boy couldn't remember the last time his body was put under enough stress to overwhelm his regenerative abilities.

But as it was getting harder and harder not to succumb to the increasingly stronger force acting upon him, Riser finally had to admit it — something was wrong.

Much like trying to go against the winds of a hurricane or escape a tornado, his advance was getting stilled as he lacked the strength necessary to push forward. The pull of the ground is inevitable.

"Say . . . Rias . . ." Riser uttered among strained breaths. "Do you know . . . what's going on . . .?"

The redhead peeked up at him, her complexion slightly flushed. He didn't believe it was from shyness. "No," she shook her head with a frown. Her look was equally puzzled and perturbed. "It's like . . . my body is getting pressed from all sides. It's not painful or anything, but it's uncomfortable."

The blonde nodded at her explanation. He felt much the same now, although the squeezing felt a couple of levels worse than what his fiancée reported.

. . . Probably because he was doing the flying, acting directly against the unknown constraints.

"Sigh . . . I'm afraid we'll have to land, Rias."

Hard as it may have been, the boy could have forced his way on . . . But with their opponents having greatly narrowed the distance — seemingly unaffected by whatever was ailing them — that choice was taken away. It wouldn't do to confront them while airborne considering the situation.

"I know . . ." The redhead muttered back as she tossed a couple of her destructive orbs toward the now much closer pursuers. "Oh. Some good news. My ability to cast hasn't been obstructed, I can dish out attacks normally. And nothing is acting upon them even after leaving my range!"

Riser cocked an eyebrow, the report sending him into contemplation even as he dived towards one of the narrow alleyways meandering below them. The risk of having a building artificially collapse on them was certainly there, but he still took his chances.

It was a preferable alternative to fighting them in the open, where they could take advantage of their numbers. Not to mention that between his recently reinforced fire magic and Rias' Power of Destruction, they had the upper hand in terms of firepower.

. . . Maybe.

Chasing away thoughts about which side had a better chance to end up covered in rubble, the boy landed gracefully, not wasting a second to spur his legs into motion. It was certainly easier than flying.

"Sooo, it affects only physical things?"

"Yes, objects with a mass, to be more accurate," Rias concurred. It was not hard to see. "Also, let me down. It will be easier on you with just Akeno."

"You're not heavy, though?"

"I know, but still."

Riser stopped, gingerly lowering the pair's feet to the ground. It took the redhead only a second to disengage from his arms, her tight hug of the ravenette also coming to an end.

. . . It was a miracle the Queen was still sleeping, the potency of the spell notwithstanding. With all the action they've had to partake in, one would have thought she would have been up and kicking by now.

"Have you tried waking her?" Riser couldn't help blurting out. Three heads were always better than two, right?

Contrary to his expectations at the obvious query, the crimson-haired shook her head, "No. And I don't intend either." A remorseful smile came the boy's way. "It's just my selfishness but . . . please bear with us for a little longer. I don't want her to experience this . . . how-do-you-do clusterfuck. . . .She's had enough already."

Riser grinned a toothy smile, a touch of wildness leaking from his eyes.

Was she asking him to continue holding their friend despite the act rendering him more or less useless in their soon-to-come conflict?

Yes.

Was she denying them a helping hand that, although immature, still more than capable of making herself noticed?

Also yes.

Nonetheless —

"You know she'll give you hell after she awakes, right?"

— he didn't mind it one bit.

It is said that the true nature of a person always comes up during times of crisis — Riser was glad to witness first-hand the infamous love the Gremorys sported for their servants . . . although he's been doing just that for the whole day.

A chuckle escaped his lips at the half-sheepish half wry smile his redhead of a fiancée shot back as a response.

"You know we've messed up again, don't you?"

The blonde nodded back, his amiable smirk slowly vanishing. He didn't need to look up to notice their pursuers having caught up with them — the magnified intensity of whatever spell was acting on their bodies was a dead giveaway.

"Did you know, Rias?" As he gingerly deposited the ravenette on his shoulder, thus freeing one of his hands, Riser spoke up. "Although your future husband can't be considered stupid, he can be an idiot at times."

The girl started giggling despite herself. "What a coincidence, she thinks the same about herself."

Neither of them said it aloud, but in their hearts, they've come to the same conclusion: next time they had to flee and the situation permitted . . . they would do just that.


The man dispiritedly regarded the trio of kids below. It had taken their group a while to corner them again.

Fortunately, though, their foolish breaks had come with a considerable cost, allowing him and his subordinates to slowly chip away at the distance separating them.

. . . There was also the helping hand their collaborator offered.

Tearing his gaze away from the children, he cast a furtive glance at the silhouette hovering lightly above him.

Really . . . even now, the infuriating weasel couldn't refrain from displaying his slight superiority in rank.

He sighed.

As much as his pride shunned the idea of requesting his help of all people . . . the notion of failing the task and disappointing their Master was much worse to stomach.

At least the man's skills were the real deal.

"So, Boss. I see that you've become much worse to wear. Whatever in the world happened to you?"

". . ."

The Boss had to stifle the urge to purse his lips as the words delivered in faux-innocence reached his ears — the Phenex boy was back to taunting.

Before, he hadn't paid much attention to his silly attempt to rile him up. That much wasn't enough to shake his heart.

Yes . . . Before.

Before he had carelessly had the chance to sample head-on one of his attacks . . .

The damage to his body hadn't been that exaggerated. Even from an objective point of view, his defenses were well above average.

"And what about your impressive robes? Why do they look like they haven't done a good job protecting you from a fire?"

. . . His body may have been more or less fine, but . . . it seemed that he had lost the ability to simply ignore the boy's jabs — a flame lit up his heart as he ground his teeth and glared back at the kid.

Even as he was obviously affected by his . . . ally's ability, his tiny body trembling from strain . . . a stupid, fearless grin still adorned his features.

. . . It really pissed him off.

It shouldn't have.

"Ha."

A derisive snort rumbled from above, and the Boss felt his heart sink in place. He should have expected the sly bastard not to miss an opportunity so readily available.

"How low have you fallen, doggie~ Not only have you lost to a green behind-the-ears brat but you also condone his trash talk. Ha ha ha~"

". . ."

The lanky man hovering above the Boss chuckled mockingly and scoffed in a disgustingly sweet voice that made one's skin crawl on their back.

His imperious gaze, coupled with the way he dismissively clasped his hands behind his back, only reinforced the sentiment.

"No wonder you've failed the task our esteemed Master entrusted you with. It seems your fangs have dulled in the short time I haven't had the displeasure of seeing your grisly mug."

"I didn't fail anything!"

The Boss couldn't help himself anymore. With a murderous gaze that he had not deigned any of the kids with, he snapped back at the gangly man, his fists visibly clenching in anger.


"—Are they going to fight amongst themselves?"

Rias whispered, her eyes wide open as she watched the ongoing exchange between their opponents.

The chances of that happening were not low in her humble opinion — even she felt her hands itchy, desiring nothing less than slapping a couple of her trademark orbs down the vainglorious Devil's throat.

"Hopefully?"

Riser was not quite sure either. It had only been a couple of minutes since that guy opened his mouth, and yet, he already managed to gain what he's failed to for the whole day — to send the Boss into a bout of impotent rage.

But, to be honest —

"I could learn a thing or two from him."

He muttered, torn between admiration and annoyance. It was a vexing choice to make.

Fortunately, his fiancée was kind enough to ease him of that burden.

"Don't you dare!" Rias growled irritatedly. She didn't entertain the idea at all. "I've just stopped labeling you as an asshole in my mind — don't make me question my decision."

". . ."

In his defense, Riser had the decency to look sheepish, "Let's try to sneak on them?"

The redhead took a moment to consider his words before nodding resolutely.

Thus, having reached a consensus, the pair burst into action — flames and destruction filled orbs started raining towards the bickering duo and their underlings.

Although neither child could assert themselves to be high-class Devils beyond their hereditary status, and their combat power was at most leading the mob among the low-class, there were exceptions from every rule.

Just like no sane human being would ever stroke a wild tiger's whiskers, no supernatural soul would ever willingly cross paths with an attack containing the slightest trace of the fabled Power of Destruction.

It didn't matter that the one doing the shelling was the Gremory heiress, the least experienced user alive. Being knowledgeable or not about her ability was of no significance also — the impending sense of doom encroaching upon their instincts was enough of a warning . . .

Although not as feared as Rias' Bael-originated ability, the Phoenix flames — also known as Hell Fire — Riser was doing his best to douse their enemies with, were not to be taken lightly either.

As one of the signature abilities of the House of Phenex, the Hell Fire is reputed to be the most powerful form of fire among Demonic powers in terms of how severe a damage they could make.

A type of Fire magic, born out of the combination of demonic power and natural flames, the Phoenix Fire's lethality is well known. It didn't take long to reduce to ashes all those foolish enough to be stuck by it.

After all . . . those flames were on par in destructive ability with a dragon's breath, capable of charring even their stupidly hard to scratch scales.

In short, despite their relative inexperience in combat due to their youth, both Rias and Riser had more than enough firepower to rid themselves even of superior opponents if catching them on the wrong foot.

. . . That's why it came as an unpleasant surprise to see them alive and kicking a couple of minutes later, when their barrage came to a halt.

It would have been one thing if they'd dodged, scurrying away from their attacks, but no.

Not having moved an inch from their initial position and not any worse for wear, they were currently staring down at them, their squabble having ended thanks to the sudden assault.

". . . A barrier . . .?"

Rias mumbled in astonishment, gawking at the intermittently shivering film separating them.

As she said, a barrier seemed to be the one responsible for their failure.

"How rude!"

His attention on them, the lanky Devil snorted angrily. A glittery gray cube was tightly clasped in one of his hands.

"Considering you both are of respectable descent, I've expected more of you. How dare you interrupt when adults talk?"

The Devil reprimanded them, and, despite him wearing a mask, the kids could practically feel the disgusted and disapproving expression he was sporting.

"Tch. That's why brats are— tch. Do I have to teach you some proper manners? Well, well, well. No matter. You won't have the chance to disrespect your betters after—"

"Ohhh, shut up."

". . ."

The Devil stopped abruptly, his eyes widening incredulously.

"What right do you have to preach to us about manners, i—diot?" Riser went on, a smirk tugging at his lips. "And doing it while hiding yourself behind a mask? Are you a retard?"

". . ."

"Actually, don't answer that. Only a mentally challenged halfwit could say such hypocritical words whilst taking that holier-than-thou attitude. You'll probably just spew out more meaningless drivel if you do."

". . ."

"And what's up with that disgusting voice of yours? Has nobody ever warned you just how nauseating it is? No? Really? Then you're welcome. Who knows what might have happened to you had you met a less magnanimous guy than me and opened that filthy cesspool you call mouth in their presence— . . . What's wrong, Rias?"

Despite how absorbed he was in his tirade, the boy could feel his fiancée tugging at his clothes for a while now. It finally reached the point when he couldn't ignore her anymore, with her having torn a strip of his shirt.

The piece of clothing barely resembled its formerly pristine self with all the shit it had to go through already . . . he didn't want to go home half naked.

". . . I think you've angered him enough," Rias retorted woodenly, not sparing him a glance. Her attention was fully on keeping track of the man her fiancé so carelessly lorded over — his body was quaking so intensely one might think he was having a seizure.

". . ."

'. . . Did I go too far?' Riser thought, realizing his taunts might have been a tad too effective. "In my defense, it's the Boss' fault . . ."

". . ."

"His endurance was by far stronger."

". . ."

"I'll shut up and think of a way to take us out of this mess."

His attempts to flame away were still rendered to nil, so their easy way out was still barred.

The problem was . . . the easy way out aside . . . he couldn't come up with a harder way out either.

Technically cornered, with opponents eclipsing them both in numbers and combat power . . . The only conclusion the blonde reached with every scenario his mind dismissed was that . . . they've screwed up?

"Don't bother, brat."

As if to mock him for even daring to hope, the lanky Devil's voice rang out. Strangely enough, it had lost that sugary sweet touch.

"Congratulations. You've managed to infuriate me beyond belief. Don't think you'll get out safe today. Hmph. Master hadn't specified he wants you whole."

As the cube inside the man's clenched palm began to shine ominously and the red glint in his eyes enlightened him about the source of the pressure bearing upon them . . . the remorse that had been scuffing up at the boy's heart ever since Akeno had been taken, flared up mightly

It wasn't hard to see that he was the one they were after — they were not after Rias and certainly not the slumbering ravenette, as he had foolishly been led to believe.

The guilt for pulling them inside this mess was solely on him.

After all—

If I hadn't asked them out . . . they would be safe at home now. Rias playing inside her cave and Akeno humoring her in faux-exasperation.

'Please.'

Just like any other being before him—

'Please.'

—who had found themselves in a desperate situation, with no way out—

'Please.'

—he began praying.

It didn't matter to him which almighty being out there heard him. Be it the long dead Lucifer, the actual one, or even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named . . . he didn't care as long as—

'Please! It doesn't matter what happens to me but please . . .! Don't involve the girls! I am enough to—'

Plop.

"NYAAA!"

". . ."

Staring bewilderedly at the tiny mass of bristled black fur and cuteness, protectively guarding them behind its back, Riser looked up at the fake sky and joined his hands in the international purchase of prayer.

"Oh Lord," he began, ignoring both his and the others — including the cat's — pain-induced flinch. "I thank you for coming to our aid oh so urgently but . . . couldn't have you sent something more, you know, intimidating and, um, powerful? I don't think I am competent enough to protect this kitten as well."

". . ."

Riser was already at home with getting weird stares whenever he said — or did — something stupid but . . . this was the first time a cat sent a condescending gaze towards him. It was unexpectedly . . . fresh? He really wanted to pick up the slight fur ball and cuddle it a little.

As if sensing the uncanny enthusiasm taking over the kid, the kitten turned its head away with a noise that brought mysteriously much to a disdainful harrumph.

Regardless if the boy's eyes were failing him or not, he didn't get any more time to contemplate it.

And neither did the others for the kitty stole a march on all of them . . . in the most painful way possible. Kinda.

"—!"

The moment it opened its tiny mouth and everyone expected the cat to let out another hiss or meow, well . . . it did exactly that — only amplified by what their enhanced sense of hearing felt like a gazillion times.

Before any of them had the time to comprehend the sheer unholiness of its shrill caterwaul, the windows surrounding them shattered in a rain of glittery flakes, followed closely by their eardrums — each too frail to withstand the sudden sharp battering.

And that wasn't all.

The next moment, the initial shockwave caught up with their dizzy selves, hurling them all a few good meters backward. It was soon followed by others, each crashing painfully into them.

The kids had it relatively well. Relatively. Compared to the group of Devils, at the very least.

Knowingly or unknowingly, the kitten seemed to focus its tender ministrations on their side, not one of them having managed to keep airborne. Sprawled each and every way, all they could do was meaninglessly grasp at their bloodied ears, trying in vain to keep the terrific sound away.

Not even the Boss and the vainglorious newcomer had it any better. In fact, they seemed to fare the worst out of their lot — out of everyone. They both had lost their ability to respond almost instantly, their bodies now a twitching mess and their minds long since plunged into unconsciousness.

Riser strenuously peeked around, looking for his companions, a massive headache hammering at his skull.

Burst eardrums were not that severe an injury, thus, his regenerative ability had them back to normal the second they were shattered. Unfortunately, that meant he had to deal with a constant process of destruction and healing, swimming between dizziness and clear-headedness. Very much like the successive cycle of death and rebirth of their more avian ancestors.

. . . What a shitty equivalency it was.

Doing his best to peer around, he soon spotted the girls.

. . . Not that it was much of an achievement, for they were both at an arm's length from him.

Akeno was still the same, the scrunching of her face the only sign her body hadn't been spared by the sonorous onslaught.

Rias instead, was very much awake. Her hands tightly clasped over her ears, she was staring pitifully in his direction, her baby blue eyes swimming with tears.

The boy rolled on his side, the act reducing the distance between him and his fiancée to zero. Tremblingly, he extended a hand towards the girl's head and began stroking her beautiful tresses gently. A reassuring smile crept on his face and somehow, he felt her calm down a little.

"Sleep," he said — or at least mouthed — and a tiny magical circle bloomed above the girl's forehead. Not a moment later, her eyes widened in alarm before they slowly started to close despite themselves. It didn't take long for her to fall into fretful slumber.

Just like the redhead asserted her selfishness earlier, he now did the same — he didn't want her hurting.

He used to dislike this spell — a spell his mother used to cast on him during his earliest childhood, when his abundant energy wouldn't have allowed him to sleep normally.

"Heh."

Riser snorted in schadenfreude. It was probably the very same spell that turned the ravenette into a sleeping beauty.

A bitter smile took shape on his tired face. The warning he had given the redhead was probably viable for him also now. He had a feeling the girl won't express any thanks for his unilateral decision to knock her out.

". . . It stopped."

Funny how he realized that because his eardrums stopped needing to regenerate. He craned his neck, taking in the surroundings.

He was the only one moving. Voluntarily, that is. Twitching didn't count.

"Well, first things first."

Standing up on wobbly legs, he gently scooped Rias up and then placed her back down, closer to her Queen.

Lightly scratching the pad of his thumb, he quickly squeezed out a drop of blood, wary not to let the wound close itself beforehand. Next, he tenderly unclenched the redhead's jaws and placed the said drop on her tongue.

He did the same to Akeno right after.

". . .They should be alright now."

Phoenix tears were a well-known panacea, capable of curing most physical ailments. They, however, were akin to watered-down wine when compared to the willingly given blood of a pure-blooded descendant of their clan.

If the tears had some limitations when it came to healing, his blood didn't. No matter how broken a body, it could always be restored fully to its untouched condition.

Riser stood up again. Before he left with the girls, he had one more thing to do.

Or two.

"And they said I'm the reckless one . . ."

". . ."

The one his chiding was aimed at . . . was none other than the culprit for the latest development — the tiny kitten.

Much like the victims of its sonic attack, it lay down on the cold ground, its consciousness robbed as well. A trickle of blood was flowing from each of its ears, staining scarlet its beautiful coat.

"Stupid . . ."

The boy gathered up the petite creature, softly cradling it inside his arms — he couldn't ditch their savior. Satan knows what those assholes would do to it, should any of them awaken first.

With a wry sigh, he fed some of his blood to it as well. Just as on its humanoid counterparts, it worked well enough, the bleeding stopping at once.

A genuine smile bloomed on his dirty face as the kitten's breath smoothened and its body relaxed — it fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Good."

Riser didn't spare a glance towards their fallen enemies as he turned tails and trekked back to the girls.

All he wanted was to take them back to safety. He would not miss his chance again.

Not after foolishly doing it so many times already and certainly not after the tiny being almost sacrificed itself in order to save them.

"Sigh . . ."

The boy kneeled by the girls' side, the kitty safely perched on his lap. Taking a moment to judge the distance between them and their fallen opponents, his brows scrunched in concentration.

"Rias is not the only one that knows how to play with balls . . . no pun intended."

An incandescent mass started gaining shape in his hand, the blonde doing his best to feed it as much demonic power as he could. He also added some of the leftovers of that strange energy, the one that almost made him burst. The experience he had using it — or rather, being used by it — was enough to make him aware of its enhancements, especially in terms of destructive potential.

Soon, he reached his limit. He couldn't supply it any more energy . . . provided he didn't want it exploding in his face.

"Count yourself lucky."

With one last venomous spat, Riser tossed the pulsing, white-hot orb towards the still unresponsive Devils.

He then swiftly placed a hand on one of each slumbering beauty's shoulders and . . . they were gone the next moment — the boy felt no need to check whether they could survive his 'gift' or not.

After all, he finally sensed his flaming respond.


AN: I've finally understood what's the deal with all those demon kings sending gradually stronger opponents the hero's way — it's no fun if there's too big a difference specs-wise. Especially if the enemies hold the upper hand.

And because I've shot myself in the foot with my choice of opponents (very much like with the bracelets — regretted that the moment I needed a damsel in distress), a strong kitty joins the fray, no longer content to just watch.

Although probably more than obvious, the kitty is Kuroka.

Why has she decided to help our kids?

She'll tell you herself in the next issue.

Probably.

What's up with the ridiculous sonic attack?

I know there's no mention of any such ability in her skills list, but I've wanted her to defeat the bad guys without letting them know just how special a kitten she truly is.

phillyitalian:

Although I'm not a diehard fan of Ravel or Le Fay, I'm certainly one of Kuroka's. Thanks for the review!

Also, thank you to all of you guys who decided that my story is worth following and/or favoriting!

. . . Although I would be even happier if you decided to leave some PMs and reviews as well. The well's been drying out on that front and I wouldn't mind knowing what you think. I've also got a couple of ideas I want to implement from some of you guys . . .

Thanks for reading!

Until next time, bye~